Sensor Mounting for a Distance Sensor

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a sensor mounting ( 5 ) for a distance sensor ( 6 ), said sensor mounting ( 5 ) having at least the following: a fixing part ( 12 ) for attaching to a vehicle ( 1 ), and a receiving part ( 14 ) that is attached to the fixing part ( 12 ) in an adjustable manner in order to receive the distance sensor ( 6 ), said receiving part ( 14 ) being adjustable into at least two different angular positions on the fixing part ( 12 ).

The invention relates to a sensor mounting for a distance sensor, asensor system with the sensor mounting and a distance sensor as well asa vehicle with such a sensor system.

For detection of distances or separations, various distance sensors canbe attached to a vehicle. Thus e.g. ultrasound and radar distancesensors are known, which can detect the separation or distance to otherobjects within a spatial angle.

For e.g. rear view monitoring systems and ramp approach systems, suchdistance sensors are attached to the rear of the vehicle. Depending onthe application, the sensors are disposed at different angles to thelongitudinal axis, in order to be able to cover the necessary monitoringarea with the minimum possible number of sensors.

The distance sensors are generally attached to the vehicle by sensormountings, e.g. to the vehicle chassis or the bumper. Thus in generalmultiple sensor mountings are necessary for the various angularpositions of the sensor, e.g. lateral sensor mountings and a centralsensor mounting.

This accordingly increases the number of parts for manufacturers and thecosts of the tools for manufacturing the sensor mountings, wherein thevarious sensor mountings are to be separately tested and released.

An object of the invention is to provide a sensor mounting that can beflexibly or adjustably attached on or in a vehicle.

This object is achieved by a sensor mounting as claimed in claim 1, asensor system as claimed in claim 12 and a vehicle with such a sensorsystem as claimed in claim 13. The dependent claims disclose preferreddevelopments.

According to the invention, the sensor mounting is thus designedessentially in two parts, with an attachment part for attachment to thevehicle, e.g. to the vehicle chassis or the bumper, and an accommodatingpart for accommodating the distance sensor. The attachment part can be ahousing that encloses the distance sensor and the accommodating part canbe a cover that closes the housing, to which the distance sensor isfixed. Thus the cover with fixed distance sensor can be placed on thehousing in the desired angular position and fixed.

The attachment part can be directly and or indirectly attached to thevehicle, e.g. on a mounting plate. The accommodating part can, accordingto the invention, be fixed onto the attachment part in at least twoangular positions, wherein the angular position of the accommodatingpart defines the angular positions of the distance sensor.

The distance sensor is thus accommodated in the various angularpositions of the accommodating part with a different orientation of itssensor axis. The user can thus adjust the orientation of the sensor axisby the angular position of the accommodating part.

The various angular positions of the sensor axis can lie in particularin the horizontal plane, i.e. the XY plane of the vehicle.

According to a preferred design, the accommodating part can be attachedto the attachment part in exactly two angular positions, which arerotated relative to each other by 180°, whereby two differentorientations of the sensor axis are defined in the horizontal plane.

A first angular position can be such that the sensor axis extendsessentially in the vehicle's longitudinal direction (or opposite to thevehicle's x direction).

In this angular position, the sensor mounting can be mounted, forexample, centrally at the rear of the vehicle and can detect a distanceto the rear. In the other angular position the sensor axis is orientatedtowards the side in the horizontal plane. Depending on the installationof the entire sensor mounting, this orientation can face to the left orright, so that a total of three sensor systems can be attached withorientations towards the center and to the left and right.

According to the invention, there are some advantages. Thus, theproduction costs are significantly reduced, because a uniform sensormounting can be used for the various sensor orientations.

The adjustment can be carried out by the user himself. For this purpose,for example, positive locking of the attachment part to theaccommodating part can take place, e.g. using mounting eyes or fixingeyelets, which are formed on the two parts and joined or fixed to eachother by fixing bolts. Definite positions can thus be set for the userwith relatively little effort.

The sensor mounting according to the invention is characterized moreoverby a small parts count and robustness. In principle, only the attachmentpart and the accommodating part are necessary, possibly with lockingmeans such as fixing bolts or also possibly a seal between theirpositioning surfaces for mutual contact.

The invention is explained below using the accompanying drawings of anembodiment. The drawings show:

FIG. 1 a vehicle with a sensor system according to the invention;

FIG. 2 the sensor mounting according to the invention in its firstangular position;

FIG. 3 the sensor mounting of FIG. 2 in its second angular position.

A vehicle 1 drives on a road 2. The direction of travel of the vehicle 1is conventionally designated as X, the vertical direction as Z and thedirection shown as transverse in FIGS. 2, 3 as Y, which together form avehicle coordinate system. The horizontal plane is defined by the Xdirection and the Y direction.

A sensor mounting 5 according to the invention with a distance sensor 6shown dashed in FIGS. 2, 3 is attached to the vehicle 1, e.g. on itsbumper 3 or on a mounting plate 4 fixed to the bumper 3. The sensormounting 5 with the distance sensor 6 accommodated by it form a sensorsystem 7 according to the invention. Attachment of the sensor system 7is not only possible on the bumper 3 or the rear area of the vehicle 1,but in principle also, for example, on the sides for detecting a lateraldistance or even on the front of the vehicle 1. This also allows adifferent height on the vehicle 1 to be selected.

The distance sensor 6 outputs a sensor signal S1, which can be receivedin the vehicle 1 by a controller 8 for evaluation of a distance d to anobstruction 9 and e.g. to output a warning signal if the distance isless than a minimum distance, as well as possibly also to controlvehicle brakes 10 if the distance sensor 6 is part of an automaticvehicle brake control system or vehicle driving dynamics control system.In principle the sensor signals S1 can also be evaluated already withinthe sensor mounting 5, which then outputs e.g. a warning signal if thedistance is less than the minimum distance.

The sensor mounting 5 is according to the invention made in multipleparts; according to the embodiment shown it has two parts, namely ahousing 12 as the attachment part, which is attached to the chassis sidemounting plate 4, e.g. with its planar rear side 12 a, and anaccommodating part, which in this instance is in the form of a cover 14.The distance sensor 6 can, for example, be essentially rectangular andis attached to the cover 14. The distance sensor 6 is accommodated inthe housing 12 and is covered at the rear by the cover 14. An opening 15is formed in the cover 14, through which the sensitive area of thedistance sensor 6 detects a detection region around the sensor axis A.

The housing 12 is formed with a first positioning surface 12 b that isoblique or inclined relative to the vertical YZ plane, and which isformed, for example, by the four front edges of the housing 12, i.e. theedge surfaces of its two side walls and the edge surfaces of the upperwall and the lower wall. Correspondingly, a second positioning surface14 a is formed on the cover 14, e.g. likewise by the edge surfaces ofits horizontal upper wall and lower wall and its side walls 14 c and 14d. In addition, the second positioning surface 14 a is offset relativeto the vertical YZ plane. The positioning surfaces 14 a and 12 b are incontact with each other, e.g. with a seal between them.

According to FIGS. 2, 3, the first positioning surface 12 b is inclinedrelative to the vertical YZ plane at a first inclination angle α1, whichthus lies in the horizontal XY plane. For this purpose, e.g. the rightside wall 12 c of the housing 12 can be somewhat longer than its leftside wall 12 d.

Correspondingly, the second positioning surface 14 a is inclinedrelative to the vertical YZ plane by a second inclination angle α2,which thus also lies in the horizontal XY plane, for which purpose theside walls 14 c and 14 d of the cover 14 can be of different lengths.

A bearing eye (fixing eyelet) 18 with a vertical throughway is providedcentrally in each case on both side walls 14 c and 14 d of the cover 14.Correspondingly, two bearing eyes 19 are provided on the side walls 12 cand 12 d of the housing 12, which align with the bearing eyes 18 whenmounting the cover 14 on the housing 12, allowing a fixing bolt 20 shownschematically in FIG. 3 to be placed through the bearing eyes 18, 19, inorder to allow the cover 14 to be locked or latched to the housing 12 onboth sides.

According to FIGS. 2, 3, the cover 14 can be attached to the housing 12in two positions, wherein its bearing eyes (fixing eyelets) 18 are eachaccommodated between the corresponding bearing eyes 19 of the housing12. In the second positions of FIG. 3 the cover 14 is rotated by 180°relative to the X direction compared to FIG. 2, i.e. its lateralsurfaces 14 c and 14 d are reversed left and right, as can also be seenfrom the offset position of the hole 15. In both positions or angularpositions the positioning surfaces 12 b and 14 a are in mutual contact.

Because the distance sensor 6 is attached to the cover 14, it is turnedwith it. The sensor axis A thus extends differently in the XY plane inFIGS. 2 and 3.

As the inclination angles α1=α2 are selected, in FIG. 2 the coversurface 14 e extends parallel to the mounting surface or the rear side12 a of the housing 12. The sensor axis A thus extends at the angleα1−α2=0 relative to the vehicle's longitudinal direction (−X direction).In the position of the cover 14 rotated by comparison through 180°according to FIG. 3, the inclination angles α1 and α2 add to a totalangle α1+α2=2α1, by which the sensor axis A′ is rotated relative to theX direction in the XY plane.

In principle, even more complex angular positions than those with thesimple contact shown of positioning surfaces 12 b and 14 a are possible.Thus, for example, square designs of the sensor mounting with 4-fold(instead of 2-fold) symmetry are possible.

According to the invention, e.g. three sensor systems 7 can be mountedon the bumper 3: e.g. the sensor system 7 according to FIG. 2 can bemounted in the center of the bumper 3, wherein its sensor axis A thuspoints rearwards in the −X direction. A sensor system 7 can be mountedlaterally outwardly, i.e. on the left and right respectively, for whichthe sensor mounting 5 is turned outwards in the horizontal XY planeaccording to FIG. 3. The sensor system shown in FIG. 3 can be mounted onthe left as shown. For mounting on the right side, it can be rotatedrelative to FIG. 3 by a total of 180°, so that the sensor axis A pointsoutwards to the right.

The distance sensor 6 can, for example, be an ultrasound sensor or radarsensor. According to its design, the hole 15 may be closed with atransparent cover (when in the form of a radar sensor).

1. A sensor mounting (5) for a distance sensor (6), wherein the sensormounting (5) at least comprises: an attachment part (12) for attachmentto a vehicle (1), an accommodating part (14) adjustably attached to theattachment part (12) for accommodating the distance sensor (6), whereinthe accommodating part (14) can be adjusted on the attachment part (12)in at least two different angular positions.
 2. The sensor mounting (5)as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a sensor axis (A) of thedistance sensor (6) accommodated by the accommodating part (14) extendsin different directions in the two angular positions of theaccommodating part (14).
 3. The sensor mounting (5) as claimed in claim2, characterized in that the sensor axis (A) lies in a horizontal plane(XY) of the vehicle (1) in each of the different angular positions. 4.The sensor mounting (5) as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterized inthat the sensor axis (A) extends in a first angular position essentiallyparallel to the vehicle's longitudinal direction (X) and in a secondangular position (α1+α2) is offset relative to the vehicle'slongitudinal direction (X).
 5. The sensor mounting (5) as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, characterized in that the attachment part(12) comprises a first positioning surface (12 b) and the accommodatingpart (14) comprises a second positioning surface (14 a), which are indirect or indirect contact respectively with each other in the differentangular positions.
 6. The sensor mounting (5) as claimed in any one ofthe claims 1 through 4 and as claimed in claim 5, characterized in thatthe first positioning surface (12 b) has a first inclination angle (α1)relative to a vertical plane (YZ) and the second positioning surface (14a) has a second inclination angle (α2) relative to the vertical plane(YZ), the first and second inclination angles (α1, α2) are ofapproximately equal magnitude, so that the sensor axis (A) of thedistance sensor (6) in the second angular position is displaced byapproximately double the inclination angle (α1+α2) relative to the firstangular position.
 7. The sensor mounting (5) as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims, characterized in that the accommodating part (14)can be positively latched to the attachment part (12) in the at leasttwo angular positions.
 8. The sensor mounting (5) as claimed in claim 7,characterized in that the accommodating part (14) and the attachmentpart (12) each comprise bearing eyes (18, 19) or fixing eyelets, whichcan be positively locked by fixing bolts (20) in the respective angularpositions.
 9. The sensor mounting (5) as claimed in any one of thepreceding claims, characterized in that the attachment part is a housing(12) and the accommodating part is a cover (14) that closes the housing(12), wherein the distance sensor (6) is attached to the cover (14) andenclosed by the housing (12), wherein the cover is rotated through 180°in each of the two angular positions relative to the other position. 10.The sensor mounting (5) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims,characterized in that an opening (15) is formed in the accommodatingpart (14) for the distance sensor (6) for detecting the exterior throughthe opening (15).
 11. The sensor mounting (5) as claimed in any one ofthe preceding claims, characterized in that it is essentially ofrectangular form and the attachment part (12) and the accommodating part(14) each form parts of the rectangular shape, wherein lateral surfaces(12 a, 12 c, 12 d; 14 e, 14 c, 14 d) of the attachment part (12) and theaccommodating part (14) are essentially formed parallel to each other ormerge together in at least one angular position.
 12. A sensor system(7), which comprises at least: a sensor mounting (5) as claimed in anyone of the preceding claims, and a distance sensor (6) accommodated byor in the sensor mounting (5) for the detection of a distance (d) to anobject (9).
 13. A vehicle (1), which comprises at least one sensorsystem (7) as claimed in claim 12 and a controller (8) for receiving thesensor signals (S1) of the at least one sensor system (7), wherein thesensor system (7) is attached to the rear of the vehicle (1) and isessentially orientated towards the rear, wherein the sensor system (7)in a first angular position is essentially orientated with its sensoraxis (A) towards the rear opposite to the vehicle's longitudinaldirection (X) and in at least another angular position is essentiallyorientated laterally rearwards.
 14. The vehicle (1) as claimed in claim13, characterized in that it comprises at least three sensor systems(7), wherein a central sensor system (7) is set in the first angularposition and a left and a right sensor system (7) are each set in thesecond angular position, wherein the central sensor system (7) isorientated with its sensor axis (A) towards the rear essentiallyopposite and parallel to the vehicle's longitudinal direction (X), theleft sensor system (7) is orientated with its sensor axis (A) in thehorizontal plane (xy) outwards to the left, the right sensor system (7)is orientated with its sensor axis (A) in the horizontal plane (xy)outwards to the right, wherein the housings (12) of the left sensorsystem (7) and the right sensor system (7) are attached to mountingdevices (4) of the vehicle (1) in positions that are rotated by 180°relative to each other.